Proper Waste Management: Cleaning the Oliva Beach in Valencia

Posted on 27 Aug. 2018

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Every year between 8 and 12 million tons of waste sweep out to sea, especially plastic. Practically a full truck of garbage per minute. The rubbish in the sea, travels a long way and then washes up on coastlines. Over time it does not biodegrade harming wildlife and ecosystems.

Ocean’s plastic pollution is one of the most felt environmental issue at present. But not only these types of litter piles in the coastal areas. Every year the sea and the rivers deposit driftwood and tidewrack along the shore, which have to be removed before summer to make room for the umbrellas, deck-chairs and bathers. For the holiday-makers safety and happiness.

Proper Waste Management: Cleaning the Oliva Beach in Valencia

Oliva is a small town in the south of Valencia, Spain, and includes almost 9 km of beaches formed of fine sand. Not only that, part of the territory of Oliva is included in the marvelous natural park of the Marjal de Pego-Oliva. An ideal leisurely area, as the flow of tourists shows every year.

Every spring, the sandy coastline is arranged and cleaned off the wild shrubs and - unfortunately - the waste forgotten by tourists or washed in by the currents. A Valencian company that specializes in coastal maintenance has used an MB-S14 screening bucket to briskly upkeep their beaches.

Mounted on a JCB excavator, the screener separated the sand from the vegetation, wrack, debris and litter. The natural material was then reused on site for the redevelopment of some parts of the park, only the trash was taken to landfill.

The park ecosystem was therefore respected, because the same vegetation was used to preserve it. There was no need to get any foreign material, so the company did not have any additional purchase or transport costs. Not only that, but having already a screener on the spot made obsolete material transport to the recycling station. And the park has not been “polluted” by truck exhaust.